This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.
Last Updated on October 7, 2023
The world wide web is a fantastic place for sellers and consumers alike. It’s a wide, virtual marketplace to find whatever products you want or to find customers interested in your wares. While many people have already broken into ecommerce, others are just flirting with the idea.
Are you looking to sell cosmetics online but don’t know where to start? We are happy to share the tips you need to become a successful ecommerce vendor. Here’s how to make money selling cosmetics online.
Start with an Idea
So, you want to sell beauty products over the web. That’s great! But to do so properly, you’ll need to research your market. Start by imagining your target audience. Will you be selling thick black eyeliner to gothic teens or subtle lipstick shades to business professionals? The manner in which you present your business will be entirely dependent upon questions like these.
If you are having trouble hashing out your brand identity, try examining your soon-to-be competitors. How do they market to their niche? What are some offerings they missed that you can leverage? The key is to think strategically.
Build It and They Will Come
Building an ecommerce website used to be a nightmare. Would-be vendors would either learn to code or hire someone to build the website for them. The former was time consuming and frustrating; while the latter was time consuming and expensive. Luckily, things are much different today.
To sell makeup online, you just need to find an ecommerce platform provider like Shopify. These services include everything you need to get started; including payment processing, customizable pages, security features, and so much more. Once you’ve built your website, you can start selling right away.
Getting the Word Out
The next step is to establish a social media presence across the most relevant platforms. Admittedly, some platforms will be more effective than others according to your target audience. For instance, Millennials love Instagram while Boomers are more active on Facebook.
Once you’ve built out your social media presences, post content on a regular basis. Obvious examples include clearance sale notifications or product launches. But if spend all your time selling, you won’t attract a whole lot of attention. Be a helpful presence; offer advice, tips, tricks and tutorials pointing back to your products. It’s an easy and informative way to draw customers into your e-store.
Make Your Store Findable
Another idea is to blog about cosmetics. These blog posts can talk about color combinations, matching skin tones, how to accentuate certain features, and more. If you optimize your blog for SEO, you can raise your chances of consumers finding your site via a Google search. Hosting Foundry categorized them by country for searchability.
In so doing, when a shopper searches “how to apply long-lasting lipstick”, your site will rank higher on results pages, better inform the reader and direct them to your products page.
Customer Service Is Essential
Customer service is important, regardless of whether your store is virtual or physical. However, there are fewer customer interactions in cyberspace than in a brick-and-mortar retail shop. There are no sales reps walking the floors to help potential customers, or folks in vests to welcome incoming shoppers.
Instead, most of your customer interactions will happen when something goes wrong; like an order is lost in the mail—or the delivery came, but in the wrong color. This makes consumer interactions all the more sensitive. Never get angry with a customer. It could blow up on social media and ruin your brand. Instead, be very patient and understanding. If you can help them, do so. If you can’t, explain why and offer an alternative solution.
Anticipate Customer Needs
Last but not least, it helps to anticipate customers’ needs. Preempt shoppers’ questions by creating an easy to find FAQ page. Decrease the number of complaints and returns by featuring accurate information in your product descriptions and showcasing high-definition images of your merchandise. If a customer does have a problem, make sure your contact page is up to date.
Well there you have it, a quick guide to how to make money selling cosmetics online. It’s easier than you might have thought. And, it can be fun too.